Technology 'could end textbook era'

The old school textbook could soon be a thing of the past, the incoming president of the Girls' Schools Association (GSA) has suggested.

Louise Robinson said that teachers could soon be embracing new technology such as smartphones and e-readers, which could spell the end of pupils working predominantly from books in the classroom as a greater breadth of information can now be accessed online "anywhere, anytime, any place".

She said that pupils can have a more interactive and enjoyable learning experience by using smartphones and tablets in classrooms as opposed to textbooks.

Speaking to the Press Association in her first interview as GSA president, she said: "Taking on board the fact that textbooks will be on your mobile, whatever shape, name or type of fruit your mobile relates to, and therefore anywhere, anytime, any place... it's going to be a huge possibility.

"But also, not only that, the fact that they'll be able to access anything they want to, in advance of your lesson, so if you say 'the next lesson's going to be on the skeleton' what you can see online now in terms of the skeleton and where you can go with it, makes children have far more control over their learning than they ever could do before."

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